


At the End of the Day

by Netcord2002



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-02-01
Updated: 2005-02-01
Packaged: 2019-05-30 18:52:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15102839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Netcord2002/pseuds/Netcord2002
Summary: Jed arrives back at the Farm just in time for New Year's Eve. It's been a long day & a long year.  Follows: "The Water Dance"





	At the End of the Day

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

   


 

**At the End of the Day**

**by: Netcord**

**Character(s):** Jed, Abbey  
**Pairing(s):** Jed/Abbey  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** ADULT  
**Disclaimer:** They belong to Aaron Sorkin, whom I miss more everyday.  
**Summary:** Jed arrives back at the Farm just in time for New Year's Eve. It's been a long day  & a long year. Follows: "The Water Dance"  
**Author's Note:** I am making Carlos  & Ramon younger than we know them to be for reasons that will become clear. This is not a post-ep and you will not be seeing Jed in a wheel chair any time soon in my writing. The background music is that of Jim Brickman. 'By Heart', lyrics & music written by Jim. 

Darkness was already descending over the orchard as Jed's motorcade pulled into the driveway at the Farm. The crisp cold air had caused a thin layer of fog to form on the car window. Jed wiped it away with the palm of his hand. Candle shaped lights glowed fromeach window of the house and he could see the Christmas tree's multicolored lights twinkling through the window of the living room. A decent sized snowstorm had arrived just before the 24th ensuring the proper backdrop for a proper New England holiday season. The garland strung along the porch railing was still partially covered with snow, but the large wreath on the door hung proudly showing off it's many colored balls, pine cones and a huge gold bow in the gentle radiance of a strategically placed spot light. 

Jed smiled when he saw the blue pickup with the California plates parked off to the side of the house. Smoke was coming out of the chimney of the den fireplace. It was good to know that Abbey had company even if he had to be back in Washington for a few days. Zoey was staying through the weekend and apparently at least one plumber was making a visit. Coop held the car door open, handing Jed his travel bag, as he stepped out onto the snow-covered driveway. Jed liked it that the plow never scraped all the way down to bare asphalt, but left a thin layer of snow under foot. He enjoyed the crunching sound the soles of his Timberlands made as he strode up to the porch steps. He kicked his feet against the top step to knock off any snow before opening the door. 

Stepping into the front hall, Jed could hear the sounds of a football game coming from the TV in the den. He dropped his bag at the bottom of the stairs and turned toward the kitchen where the aroma of freshly baked cookies called to him. Expecting to find Abbey, Jed was surprise to discover two agents in the pantry 'taste testing' a large plate of decorated cookies. They came to attention at Jed's approach, turning to hide the treats behind them. 

"Are they any good?" Jed asked with a smile. 

"They're terrific, Mr. President. Welcome home Sir," replied the athletic looking young woman in a dark colored pantsuit. 

Jed gazed up at them, "Do I know the two of you?" 

"Sir, I'm Sandy and this is Christopher." She nodded toward the six foot something agent who was trying to wipe the cookie crumbs from his lips. "We're new to the 'Graduate's' detail." Jed extended his hand to them both. "I'm Jed Bartlet, the 'Graduate's' father. Save some of those cookies for me, will you?" 

"Yes Sir. Of course Mr. President," Chris carefully replaced the foil that had been covering the plate. 

"Do you know where my family is?" 

"Sir, your daughter is watching a game in the den with a guest and Mrs. Bartlet is upstairs." 

"OK, thanks." Jed snuck two fingers under the foil extracting a large cookie with sprinkles on top. He wiggled his eyebrows and made a quick exit from the pantry as he took a big bite. He peeked in the oven to discover a leg of lamb in a roasting pan. The kitchen table had already been set for four. It was very festive with green mats and a flower arrangement of red & white carnations with holly in a country crock pot. A pair of hand dipped candles stood at the ready in pewter candle holders. 

*************** 

Jed leaned against the doorframe for a moment before entering the den. Florida was playing Georgia in one of the many bowl games. Zoey sat on the couch with her feet up on the coffee table. Sitting immediately next to her was Carlos. He held a bottle of Samuel Adams in his right hand and Zoey's knee in his left. They leaned their heads together and were chatting comfortably when Jed decided to make his presence known. 

"Hey. Who winning?" 

Carlos bolted to his feet almost splashing his beer on the rug. "Mr. President. Good to see you Sir." He moved forward cautiously reaching out to shake Jed's hand. "Florida has the upper hand at the moment, but it's only the first quarter." 

"It's about time you made an appearance. Mom was getting ready to call out the New Hampshire National Guard. Don't people in DC. know it's a holiday weekend?" Zoey never missed a chance to rib her father about working too hard. Jed leaned over the back of the couch to plant a firm kiss on top of his daughter's head."I don't need any sass out of you young lady. I get enough of that from CJ. I escaped as soon as humanly possible." Jed signaled for Carlos to take his seat and came around to plop down in the wingback chair , propping his feet up on the matching ottoman. It felt so great to take a load off. He pulled the knot loose on his tie and unbuttoned his collar. "What is your mother doing?" 

"She decided to go take a cat nap so she wouldn't yawn all night waiting for the new year to ring in.I think she hoped if she took a nap it would somehow hasten your arrival." 

Jed rubbed his eyes and squinted at the TV trying to make out the scores crawling across the bottom of the screen. Maybe he was ready for bi-focals or perhaps they could just make the numbers larger. The chills he had been feeling were still with him and the subtle pain in his neck was not so subtle any more. Jed rose slowly to his feet. "We're all eating dinner here tonight ?" 

"Yep, lamb with mint jelly, sweet potatoes and baby peas. Mom made you something special for dessert." 

"That something wouldn't be cookies with sprinkles would it?" 

"Dad, stay out of the pantry. You know that's forbidden territory." 

"All right I'll act surprised. I'm going to head upstairs, check on your mother and change my clothes. Oh and Carlos, you do know it's a federal offense to 'touch' any member of the First Family, right?" 

Carlos' eyes grew wide, he looked at Jed , then turned to Zoey for confirmation. 

"Dad...Carlos don't pay any attention to him. The women rule in this house." 

"Sad, but true...I'll go up an harass your mother for a while." He gave Carlos a nod of encouragement leaving them alone for the time being. 

*************** The light in the bedroom was dim when Jed opened the door. Abbey was dosing on his side of the bed. She was wearing those tight black leggings that showed off her athletic legs and a soft cream colored corduroy big shirt. Her red ragg socks were bunched down around her ankles. She barely stirred when he sat down softly on the edge of the bed. She seemed so peaceful he was reluctant to disturb her, but it had been a long few days and Jed needed to reconnect. He ran his hand up her leg and under the bottom edge of her shirt. Her stomach was so warm. Abbey took a deep breath shifting slightly under his touch. As his finger move higher he realized she was not wearing a bra. A smile came to his lips when he allowed his finger tips to pass gently over her breasts. Deciding to go one step further he carefully unbuttoned to shirt so he could see the beauty that lay beneath. When Jed circled Abbey's left nibble with his thumb she raised a hand running it up his forearm. 

"I was lonely. What took you so long?" She asked in a sleepy voice. 

"Hey sleeping beauty....." 

Abbey kept her eyes closed and gently rubbed his arm as he continued to enjoy the warmth of her soft skin. It was such a little thing...touching and being touched, but for them this connection was everything. If they lived to be one hundred years old there would never be anything more precious to him than her touch. 

"How did you know it was me? I could have been one of Santa's elves left over from Christmas come back for a little squeeze." 

"Jed....I would know your touch if I was blind. No one has hands like yours. No one has ever touched me the way you do. And I could smell the Bay Rum as soon as you opened the door." Abbey sat up brushed his bangs off his forehead and kissed him lightly on the lips. 

Jed shivered and reached up to rub the back of his neck. "Scoot over and let me lay down for a minute." He stretched out on the bed, pulling Abbey in close to his side. She wrapped an arm around him and rested her head on his shoulder. 

"It's been a long day."Abbey meant it as a statementrather than a question. 

"Yes, it has." Jed agreed. 

"And...?" 

"And I've been feeling cold all day. My sore neck is turning into a splitting headache. Plus I can't seem to get my eyes to focus clearly." 

"Is that all?" 

"I think that's enough for now. Don't you?" They lay there quietly for many minutes wrapped in the increasing darkness of the winter night. 

Jed became aware of Abbey moving around in the room. She did not turn on any lights when she urged him to swallow the three Advil she placed in his hand. He took a long swallow of cool water from the glass she left on the bedside table. 

As Abbey draped a throw blanket over him she leaned down pressing her cheek to his and whispered, "Rest here for a little while and let the Advil get to work. I'm going to check on the lamb & the kids. I'll run a warm bath for you when I come back up." 

Jed rolled onto his side pulling the blanket up tightly around his neck. He could hear a mixture of voices and laughter floating up the stairs. He loved this house so much. Even in the quiet seclusion of their bedroom he felt the pulse of activity from the rooms below. Jed wasn't sure how long he lay there. He glanced at the alarm clock....6:30. What was the plan? Dinner here. Then off to Manchester for the First Night celebrations. At least he wasn't scheduled to speak or make any sort of public statement. What he wouldn't give to just stay here and watch Dick Clark drop the ball in Times Square. Maybe he could dress Carlos up in one of his overcoats and a hat and send him off with his girls. It would be fairly dark. Maybe no one would notice. God this bed felt like heaven. Abbey reappeared and went into the bathroom. Jed heard water running followed by the sound of the 'jet engine.' Of course it was not a jet engine. He liked to call it that. The motor for the Jacuzzi jets was surprisingly quiet. More like a low soothing hum. Abbey turned on a small lamp on the other side of the room. She came to feel his forehead, removed his tie and began to unbutton his shirt. 

"Hey Sweet Thing. What are your intentions ? 'Cause I got to say..." 

"Don't get your hopes up. I want you to soak in the tub for a bit before dinner." 

"Alone??" 

"Jed, honestly." 

"I didn't pay for that huge tub so I could sit in there all by myself." 

*************** 

Jed slid forward to make room for Abbey as she stepped in behind him. The bubbles of air formed by the power of the jets tickled his body as they floated up to the surface of the water. Abbey put her arms around Jed's chest pulling him back to lean against her. She kissed his wet hair and held him close. The warm glow of the candles lining the counter reflected off the ocean blue shade which had been selected to spare them from the prying eyes of the neighbors with night vision binoculars. Abbey had discouraged him from turning all the lights on and waving. Jed stretched his legs out barely touching the other end with his toes. This sure was a great improvement over their old tub. 

There was some unfamiliar music playing in the bedroom. It was the smooth sound of a piano player, soft and romantic. Jed let his head fall back onto Abbey's shoulder. She ran her hands over his chest in long soothing strokes. Between the soft touch of her hands and the warm swirling water he felt much better than when he first arrived home. The stiffness in his neck and the throbbing headache had subsided considerably. "Jed, why don't you close your eyes while we soak?" Abbey brushed her lips against his neck. 

"Mmmm....this is just what I needed." Jed closed his eyes and gave himself over to her caresses. As a new song floated in to them, Abbey began singing softly in his ear. 

"Hold me close, baby please Tell me anything but that you're gonna leave As I kiss this fallen tear I promise you I will be here 

Until the stars fall from the sky Until I find the reason why And darling as the years go by Until there's no tears left to cry 'Til the angels close my eyes And even if we're worlds apart I'll find my way back to you by heart 

When you go I'll stop the clock I won't ever let this moment stop Time is stealing you from me But it can never take this memory" 

Abbey stopped singing though the song was still playing. Jed could feel the tension in her body. Her hands had stopped moving. 

"Abbey why did you stop?" 

"It's a sad song. Babe, I don't know. I just..." 

Jed sat up and turned to face her. "Sweet thing, I'm all right. It was just a very long day. I had a migraine. It's better now I promise." He looked into her eyes to see the concern she always tried so hard to disguise. 

"And your vision?" 

"Abbey, I won't lie to you. It could be better, and it willbe." Jed leaned closer wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her lips tenderly inviting her to respond. Abbey parted her lips allowing his tongue to play lovingly with her own. He knew he had succeeding in distracting her when he felt her body relax against his. 

Abbey put a hand to his chest and pull back. "Jed, I want to stay home tonight. I don't think you should go into Manchester and stand around in the cold. We can eat with the kids and send them off on their own." 

"Not exactly on their own, but yes I think it would be better to stay in. Maybe we could catch a little of the Michigan/USC game. I'd like to be able to harass Leo next week when Michigan gets the ass kicking it so richly deserves." 

"Jed..." 

"Leo deserves it. He has been yanking my chain all week, because Michigan was invited to a bowl game and Notre Dame wasn't. I can't allow him to get away with abusing the President." 

"OK, but I want to see Dick Clark drop the ball at midnight." 

*************** 

Carlos bowed his head and held hands with Zoey and Abbey as Jed said the grace. 

"Lord bless this food and those who partake of it. Keep watch over those who could not be with us tonight. Grant us peace & understanding as we move into a new year. Amen" 

"Zoey I'm keeping your father home tonight. I don't want him out in the cold just now." Abbey looked at her daughter to make sure she understood. 

"Okay, is everything all right?" She glanced at her Dad hoping she wouldn't see any serious signs of his MS. He was dressed in a casual sun bleached red canvas shirt and his well worn jeans.His hair had obviously been 'combed' with his fingers, which always made him look somewhat younger. She did not much like the perfect appearance required of the President. He bent over the leg of lamb concentrating on making even slices with a well sharpened carving knife. He seemed to be squinting , but that in itself did not concern her. 

"Your father was afraid he'd miss the Michigan game. He wants something to hang over Leo's head." Abbey smiled and nodded to let her know this topic was closed. 

"So Carlos, how's your appetite?" Jed handed a plate with three thick slices of lamb to Abbey for vegetables. 

"Good. I'm starved Mr. President." Carlos fiddled with his fork, eyeing the sweet potatoes with interest. " I have never had sweet potatoes like that before." 

"Well your in for a treat young man. This is a family favorite. Mashed sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows 'flambee". First you mash & bake the potatoes seasoned with cinnamon, ginger, brown sugar, a splash of orange juice, several dabs of butter and some milk for consistency. Then comes the really exciting part. You cover the top of the potatoes with marshmallows, baby or regular. What ever is available. Then you stick them under the broiler while standing by with a fire extinguisher and wait. You let then heat up just until the moment when the marshmallows are about to burst into flames. It can be very nerve wracking and dramatic." Jed slapped a large spoonful of gooey topped potatoes on the plate next to the peas and lamb and passed the plate to Carlos. 

The candles burned evenly sending small drips of warm wax down onto the lip of the candle holders. With Zoey's agent as designated driver Jed kept the wine glasses full. He however had opted for ice water with a slice of lime. No sense tempting fate tonight. 

Carlos folded his napkin placing it next to his empty plate. "That certainly was delicious Mrs. B. Thanks for inviting mefor dinner tonight." 

"I couldn't let you take Zoey off with an empty stomach. If you stay for the fireworks at midnight it'll be good to have a hot meal in you. I hope you have room left for the special dessert?" 

"You mean the cookies with sprinkles?" Jed blurted out before he remembered he didn't know anything about any cookies. 

"Jed!? Did you go in the pantry?" Abbey narrowed her eyes trying to look stern. 

"I may have wandered in there when I first got home. It's a good thing too. Zoey's agents would have finished them all off if I hadn't come along." His meek expression was so disarming. Abbey just sighed in exasperation. 

"Jed, sometimes you are worse than Gus and he is 6 years old." 

"I think vanilla ice cream would make the cookies just perfect. Let's go wild !" Jed jumped up and headed for the freezer. 

*************** 

Sticking his hands into his pockets, Carlos stood by the front door waiting for Zoey to get herself ready to head into Manchester for the festivities. His blue Colombia parka had two thick layers. He had zipped them both up around his neck for good measure. He had tried his hardest to clean his ankle high work boots. They were well insulated for standing around in the snow, but were not quite the thing for making a good impression when his date's parents were the President & First Lady. He worried he was getting way in over his head. No matter how much the President tried to act like a regular Dad, he was still the President. Zoey was the sweetest girl he had ever met. He believed it must have been fate or something like it that brought him to Manchester in the first place. What good fortune to be hired by the First Lady to renovate the bathroom. Only the Lord knew where this would all lead. Carlos was suddenly jarred from his thoughts by the President, who came to lean against the front hall table. He also had his hands jammed down into his pockets. His blue eyes were extremely warm, but intense. 

"You know , Carlos, when Zoey goes out into a public place like tonight she will have a larger detail surrounding her." 

"Yes , Sir, I understand." 

"I don't anticipate any trouble. It's just a precaution, but she needs to be mindful that they are there. I want you two to have good time." 

"We will Sir. I'm sure it will be fine." Carlos shifted from one foot to the other. 

"There will be four. Four people whose sole purpose is to watch out for Zoey's welfare." Jed was looking directly at Carlos to be sure he understood. 

"No Sir. There will be five people. You forgot to count me." Carlos looked Jed right in the eyes and smiled. 

*************** 

Abbey and Jed stood side by side at the sink. Abbey sloshed the dishes in warm soapy water then handed them to Jed after she rinsed them. The KitchenAide dishwasher stood quietly by while the First couple chose to do the dishes by hand. This had become an opportunity for them to chat and catchup with each other. Abbey enjoyed doing the ordinary mundane things when she was at the Farm and they were not in any hurry to go out. Jed was pretty handy with a dish towel especially when it came to snapping Abbey on the rear when she teased him too much. 

"What was that music before?" Jed spun a plate around in the dish towl. 

"When we were in the tub?" 

"Yeah. Was that a piano player?" "That was Jim Brickman, Jed. You'd like him. He's very talented. He writes his own music and lyrics. Sometimes he sings his own songs. They are very lovely and romantic." 

"Maybe he would come play for us while we're still in the White House." 

"I'd love that. It would make you very popular with all the women on the staff." 

"Are you saying I'm not already popular with the women?" 

"Jed..." Abbey splashed some water in his direction, receiving a sharp towel snap in return. 

"I think we should call our other daughters to wish them a happy New Year's Eve," Jed suggested as he stacked the plates back in the cabinet. 

"Liz and Doug were going out to some neighborhood party. And Ellie is most definitely occupied tonight." Abbey didn't dare look at Jed. 

"Why is Ellie so occupied?" He came back to stand right next to her. 

"Jed, I don't want you to get all excited...She invited Ramon to come down to Baltimore for the weekend." Abbey rinsed off the silverware and held her breath. 

"Ramon?? The Ramon whom she only met one week ago??" His eyes narrowed. 

"The very one. The Ramon you invited to come meet your family at church on Christmas Eve after shaking hands with him exactly once." She raised her eyebrows giving him the 'what did you expect' look. " They did a great job here. I was just trying to be friendly." 

"They did and you were." She chuckled and reached to pull the stopper out of the drain. 

" Aren't these boys kind of old for our girls?" Jed tried to sound disapproving. 

"Jed , Ellie is 28. Ramon is 30." 

"OK well, Carlos is..." 

"He's 27, which isn't much different than the two of us." 

"Zoey is quite mature for her age." 

"Yes, she is. And besides there are many advantages to having a good plumber close at hand." 

"I don't want to talk about this any more." Jed tossed the dish towel on the counter. "I should become a professional matchmaker when I leave office," he muttered to himself. 

*************** 

It had been a very competitive game, but Jed was ready for USC to finish off Michigan once and for all. He shifted slightly trying to adjust the pillows behind him. Abbey had been dosing with her head on his chest for almost two hours. It may not have been the most exciting way to spend New Year's Eve, but laying in his own bed with Abbey by his side watching a bowl game was high on his list. He kissed the top of her head as she began to stir. 

"What's the score? It must almost be over." She spoke without raising her head to look at the TV. 

"Only a few minutes to go Sweet thing. USC is ahead by 3 points. They just need to hold on here...Oh my God.....NO!" Abbey sat up expecting some sudden tragedy. "What?" 

"Michigan just kicked a 49 yard field goal to tie up the score. We're headed for overtime. Damn." 

"Jed relax it's only a game." 

"Abbey, Leo will lord it over me for months if Michigan wins this. I don't think I could stand that." He sat up a little straighter, focusing on the TV screen. 

Abbey shrugged her indifference and lay back down. After such a nice peaceful nap she was ready for a little fun. Very slowly she slid down under the covers. Jed had great legs. She found them very appealing. Abbey maneuvered herself so that she could rake her fingernails up one thigh while she kissed her way up the other. At first she got no reaction from above so she snaked her free hand up under his T-shirt and began to stroke it gently over his bare stomach. 

" What the hell?" Jed sat forward only to be pushed back onto his pillows. 

"Don't mind me Babe. Just watch your game." 

Jed looked down at the talking mound under the blankets with amusement. As Abbey worked her way up Jed's thighs he started to squirm a little. He could feel her hand making it's way up through the loose leg of his boxers. How on earth was he suppose to watch...Oh lord. When her hand reached in to touch him he was already getting hard.. Jed grabbed Abbey's hand off his stomach trying to pull her back up from under the covers. She was too fast for him tonight, snatching it back and snagging the edge of his waist band. 

"Lift your hips," came the voice from below. 

"Abbey....." 

"Lift them,"it persisted. 

Gazing at the game momentarily his hips jerked up as Abbey yanked at his boxers. She slid them off completely and moved in with a real sense of purpose. Her hands held firmly to his thighs. Her mouth was wet and warm. Her tongue was driving him out of his mind.Jed laced his fingers through her hair pressing down gently. He could feel all the blood rushing to his groin. 

"Abbey..." 

She stopped looking up from under the edge of the blanket. "Jed? Are you all right?" 

"You wanted me to relax and rest up." 

"Yes, just think of me as one of Santa's little elves come back for a squeeze." She moved up his body lifting his T-shirt and pressing kisses all over his chest. "Let me do all the work, Babe. Just lay back and let your feelings flow." 

Letting his hands fall to his sides, Jed lay his head back and closed his eyes. Abbey knew just how to arouse all his senses. Sometimes she would press her body against him, speaking words of love. Other times she would run her hands all over him stopping to touch those places that made him just want to burst with love for her. Tonight she asked him not to touch her, but to simply feel her loving him. 

Abbey pressed her hips to Jed's moving ever so slightly so as to rub against his erection driving every nerve in his body to sound an alarm. With his shirt pushed up high on his chest she ran her tongue around each of his nipples, teasing them into hard little buds. She brushed her hand through his hair, coaxing his bangs back from his face, then kissed him deeply on the mouth. Her tongue caressed his for many moments before she move on to suck at his ear lobe. Ever so slowly she raised herself up, placing her hands on Jed's chest. Jed let out a long groan of relief as she lowered herself down onto him, settling her hips as tightly to his as possible. 

"Does that feel good, Babe?" 

All he could respond was, "Oh God." Then he held his breath, waiting for her to start moving. 

Using her hands to balance herself Abbey raised and lowered her hips in a slow deliberate rhythm. She watched Jed's face and could tell exactly when to pick up her pace. Jed's breathing becamedeep and ragged. He rolled his head from side to side. Jed took hold of her thighs momentarily, then placed his hands over hers on top of his chest. 

"Abbey, now please." 

At that she leaned back changing the angle and squeezed him tight. Jed felt all his muscles contracting. In the midst of this flood of sensation he could hear voices in the back of his head, but he wasn't sure what they were saying. 

"With only 3 seconds remaining in overtime USC will attempt one more play for the win. Here's the snap. The quarter back is looking down field. He has a receiver open . Here's the pass.... score!! That's a touchdown. USC has defeated Michigan in double overtime !!" 

That was the precise moment he felt it all let go. He arched his back driving his hips up, freeing all his energy to flow to that one point where they were joined as one. Even though Abbey had done all the work, Jed was wet with perspiration on his forehead and chest. Abbey lay down by his side, pulling the blanket up around them. Now he was allowed to hold and touch her. Jed wrapped his arms securely around Abbey kissing her forehead. 

"At the end of the day you are all I need." 

*************** 

At some point Jed became aware of Dick Clark's voice talking about predictions for the new year. He couldn't remember flipping the channel after the football ended. Abbey was asleep in his arms unaware that 2004 was about to slip away forever. It had been a year of stress, conflict and some regrets. Jed wasn't sure if he was sorry to see it go. He rolled out of bed grabbing his robe from the bedpost. He went to stand at the window overlooking the front yard. Parting the curtains just enough he could see the reflection of the full moon shining off the snow. Jed leaned on the window sill gazing out toward the barn below the driveway. The moonlight created impressive shadows as it passed through the white rail fencing. Whatwould the new year bring? Would he really be a 'lame duck' President. There were so many things he still wanted to accomplish. Did the staff have any fight left in them? Would the MS allow him at least one more good year? All good questions.....but who knew the answers? 

Jed was startled when Abbey put her arms around his waist. 

He covered her hands with his."I'm sorry did I wake you?" 

"I got a chill and realized you were gone. What are you doing?" 

"Just watching the moon and trying to predict the future." 

"Are you worrying about the future?" 

"I'm going to release Josh, Abbey. I'm sending him out to find the next 'real thing." 

"You knew this was coming sooner or later." 

"Yes." 

" At first he'll feel you are pushing him away, but then he'll see it is the best way to serve you and your legacy." 

"Yeah, I hope so. It's just so hard to watch all the changes and not really have any power over them." 

They both turned at the sound of applause. The ball was dropping and Dick Clark was proclaiming that 2005 had officially arrived. Many thousands of people cheered in Times Square , hugged and some kissed complete strangers. Jed cupped Abbey's face in his large hands. He placed a grateful kiss on her lips. 

"Happy New Year, Sweet thing. I love you." 

" I love you too, Babe."


End file.
